Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called on the federal government to move “as quickly as possible” to change the way it officially classifies marijuana, saying that “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible,” Harris said. “We need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment. This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin ― as dangerous as heroin ― and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.”

Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That classification designates it one of the most dangerous drugs possible, with no medicinal uses. Other substances in the same category include heroin, ecstasy and LSD. Marijuana advocates have been pushing for years for the federal government to either reschedule marijuana to a different category or deschedule it entirely.

  • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    If democrats can’t get this done ahead of the election it will be criminally negligent

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Donald Trump came into office and had both Houses.

        Never even mentioned weed, unless it was to talk about how users should be executed.

        But I’m sure he’ll change next time

              • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                What makes you think there’s a giant majority of the country begging for a hard Left party?

                Every poll I’ve seen puts ‘Socialists’ at about 6% of the population.

                Do you have better data?

                • Garbanzo@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  Poll on the issues and policies instead of the labels and you’ll get wildly different results

                  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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                    8 months ago

                    I agree 100% That’s one of my biggest beefs with my fellow Progressives. I once got into it with someone. I said the only thing we should be saying is “Tax the rich.” He spent hours explaining why we had to educate the workers into Marxism before we could do anything meaningful.

                    It’s too bad we don’t vote on issues and polices; we vote on politicians and the Right knows how to find pretty faces who know how to sound good.

                • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  What makes you think there’s a giant majority of the country begging for a hard Left party?

                  Well, about this particular issue, 70% of the US wants what neither conservative party is willing to ever do.

                  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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                    8 months ago

                    The title of the article is that the current, Democratic Vice President is calling for it to be rescheduled.

                    Biden pardoned all pot smokers back in 2022.

                    You tried to move the goal posts and failed.

                    And apparently you agree that less than 10% of the population is ‘Socialist.’

      • thirteene@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Or they felt confident that they would get a free win, and delayed it until the election news cycle. It’s likely a bit of both.

      • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Not in all cases. There are different types of legalization.

        Rescheduling is probably the better way forward because it would allow for medical use within the healthcare system.

      • jonne@infosec.pub
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        8 months ago

        No, the relevant agencies (I think FDA?) control how drugs are scheduled, so essentially it’s just a case of that agency making the change. I don’t even think the President needs to be involved in that.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        If it comes down to pretending it does versus letting up on the racist drug war, Democrats will need congress.

        It’s not like it’s something they want to do, like supporting the genocide every last centrist has always wanted. Don’t need congress for that.